Getting Started with Custom Course Job Aids

Use these Getting Started with Custom Course Job Aids instructions to modify existing, add new, and access custom job aids in Skillsoft courses. Follow the guidelines in this document to ensure any existing and new custom job aids are preserved upon content server install updates for this course.

Notes:

To customize job aids, you must have read and write access to the server where the course content is installed.
You cannot customize job aids located on the Skillsoft Extranet, as all users must share the same standard content.

Job Aids Overview

Job aids are a critical component of the Skillsoft solution that demonstrate Skillsoft's unique approach to performance support. Job aids are stand-alone learning tools in the form of Guides and Evaluations.

Adding Your Custom Job Aid to a Course

To modify an existing or add your custom job aid to a Skillsoft course, do the following:

Create a new folder under the appropriate course's /output/html folder, named customja.
Modify an existing or create a new custom job aid HTML file.
Save the custom job aid and any files (including graphics) you reference with a filename using lowercase characters with no spaces to the new /output/html/customja folder.
For example: SkillSoft/web/content/player/mgmt0115/output/html/customja
Edit the /output/html/jobaids.htm file, located in course's /output/html folder.
Decide if you want your custom job aid to display at the beginning or the end of the job aid list on the jobaids.htm page the learner accesses. You cannot place custom job aids at both the top and bottom of the jobaids.htm page.
Based on your decision in step (a), edit the HTML to reference your custom job aid file using one of the following comment tag sets. See the Job Aid HTML example.
To place your custom job aids at the end of the entire job aid list, the following items should appear after the last </ul> comment tag.
The <!SkillSoftCustomJobAids> opening tag.
Your custom job aid reference using HTML.
The <!/SkillSoftCustomJobAids> termination tag.
- The Skillsoft Content Installer recognizes these tags and will install the your custom job aids at the end of the job aids list during installation.
- To place your custom job aids at the beginning of the entire job aid list, the following items should appear before the first <UL> comment tag.
The <!SkillSoftCustomJobAidsTop> opening tag.
Your custom job aid reference using HTML.
The <!/SkillSoftCustomJobAids> termination tag. The SkillSoft Content Installer recognizes these tags and will install the your custom job aids at the beginning of the job aids list during installation.

Note: It is recommended that you use a text editor (such as Notepad) to edit your HTML to ensure that the SkillSoft HTML formatting is preserved.

To create the reference to your custom job aid, copy and paste an original Skillsoft Job Aid HTML reference in the jobaids.htm file between the comment tags you inserted in Step (4b) above. Then edit the new HTML link and text to reference your custom job aid, for example:

<UL> <li> <a href="customja/custom1.htm">Your Job Aid Title 1 </a>Your job aid description identifying the purpose of the job aid. </UL>

If you modify an original Skillsoft job aid, please treat it as acustom job aid: move it to the new customjafolder, and then update the jobaids.htm and filelist.txt files to reflect the applicable file or folder name changes. It is important to remember that the original Skillsoft job aid you modified is replaced in the /output/html/ folder upon content server install updates for this course.

Modifications you make that are not between the <!SkillSoftCustomJobAidsTop> or <!SkillSoftCustomJobAids> opening and <!/SkillSoftCustomJobAids> termination tags are not preserved upon content server install updates for this course

Save the jobaids.htm file.

Add the custom job aid filename to the filelist.txt file, also located in the /output/html folder. See the filelist.txt example.

Note: When you install this Skillsoft course using server install versions 1.28.3 and later, the filelist.txt is automatically updated to include the filenames in the /customja folder and any subfolders you may add.

Verify access of your custom job aid in the Skillsoft Course Player.

Job Aids HTML Example

Note:

The HTML below may not exactly match the HTML in your jobaids.htm file.
Italic text indicates information specific to the job aid and bold text indicates required HTML.
Existing (partial) jobaid.htm with no custom job aid HTML you add to jobaids.htm for 2 custom job aids at top of list. HTML you add to jobaids.htm for 2 custom job aids at bottom of list.

<UL><li><a href="customja/custom1.htm">Your Job Aid Title 1 </a>Your job aid description identifying the purpose of the job aid. </UL>

<UL><li><a href="customja/custom2.htm">Your Job Aid Title 2 </a>Your job aid description identifying the purpose of the job aid.</UL>

<!/SkillSoftCustomJobAids>

<UL><li><a href="jmg0115a.htm">Informal Appraisal Techniques</a>Use this SkillGuide to find effective strategies in performing informal appraisals.</UL></body></html> <UL> <li><a href="jmg0115a.htm">Informal Appraisal Techniques</a>Use this SkillGuide to find effective strategies in performing informal appraisals.</UL>

<!SkillSoftCustomJobAids>

<UL><li><a href="customja/custom1.htm">Your Job Aid Title 1</a>Your job aid description identifying the purpose of the job aid. </UL>

<UL><li> <a href="customja/custom2.htm">Your Job Aid Title 2 </a>Your job aid description identifying the purpose of the job aid. </UL>

<!/SkillSoftCustomJobAids></body></html>

Filelist.txt Example: an updated (partial) filelist.txt with a new custom job aid

filelist.txt
sslogo.jpg
jmg0115a.htm
jobaids.htm
customja/yourlogo.jpg
customja/custom1.htm
customja/custom2.htm

Accessing Job Aids

Learners access Job Aids from the Skillsoft Course Player's Job Aids or Reference button, located in the Navigational area.

Job aids are HTML files, located in each course's /output/html and optional/output/html/customja folder.